COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONNamed after one of the famous ’front four’ trails on Mt. Mansfield, this I.P.A. is brewed in the English tradition of pale ales shipped from Britain, around Africa, to India. Those ales contained extra hops and a higher alcohol percentage, which both served as natural preservatives. This ale holds true to those original, defining characteristics. Formerly "National IPA".

12oz into a glass. Pours a fluide dark orange, brozned in nature, hoppy in flavour. An earthym roasted hop flavor that omits a bountiful impression ot the Vermont mountains. Taste is organic, flavorfully hoppy, persistent in the malt support levels, and all around a good ride. An enjoyable 6.0%, this is stellar brew. Fresh, clean and inviting, the shed ipa is nice.

Six pack from Julios. Pours out a light honey amber color. Inch thick head that sticks around a while. Good carbonation. Nice floral-spice aromatic aromas. Hop profile is grapefruit and spruce. Very satisfying but not overly thick or bitter or stricky. This could be my new "go-to" six pack.

Bottle. Rich floral hops with biting citrus, orange and peppery lemon, reminds of a Saison. Cloudy brown-golden with a foamy beige head. Taste is quite thoroughly bitter and bone dry with rough alcoholic edges and a touch of bready yeast at the back. Lightly spiced, hint of resin, malt not gobsmackingly crystalled, though still not a strong point. Quite crisp fullish body, laces and even has some hips...er, legs. For the subtle touch of astringency there’s a rather nice flavor of rind.

Aroma: The nose has mostly floral and citrus hops with caramel, and some buttery notes
Appearance: Pours an orange color, cloudy, with some sediment, a small head and some sticky lace
Flavor: The taste of this one is lightly sweet, with a medium-plus hop bitterness to it that actually works decently well despite the fact that it has a little too much of a buttery/diacetyl component
Palate: It is light-medium bodied, a hint thin for the style, soft carbonation, and a short, dryish finish
Overall Impression:
I thought this was a pretty decent attempt at an IPA. It has some little flaws to it for sure, but those certainly don’t make the beer undrinkable or anything. Still though, due to the flaws and the lack of anything stand-out about it, it’s probably on the bottom side of the style.

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle. It pours a slightly cloudy medium amber that is more like orange or copper. Some head that lingers. The aroma is alive with floral hops. I feel like I am standing over a flower garden. The body is around medium. The taste has pale malts and a whole lot of hop bitterness going on. Hopheads should like this.

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